All Aboard for the South East’s Largest Real Ale & Cider Festival at the Spa Valley Railway

Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October 2026 - The Spa Valley Railway is preparing to transform its five-mile heritage line into an unmissable celebration of great beer, cider, live music, food and railway travel as the South East’s largest Real Ale & Cider Festival returns to Tunbridge Wells.

Across four memorable days, visitors can discover around 200 real ales, 40 distinctive Kent Green Hop beers, 14 keg beers and 70 ciders, with festival bars at Tunbridge Wells West, Groombridge and Eridge stations. Heritage trains will link the venues, turning the journey itself into part of the festival experience.

Guests can raise a glass in the atmospheric Victorian Engine Shed, enjoy live bands on the main stage at Tunbridge Wells West, acoustic duos at Groombridge and solo performers at Eridge, and choose from a tempting range of freshly prepared food. With drinks also available on board selected trains, few festivals offer a more unforgettable way to explore new flavours.

Entry to all festival sites is free. The celebrations begin at Tunbridge Wells West at 6pm on Thursday 15 October, with the full three-station festival and heritage train services running from Friday to Sunday. Visitors who want unlimited train travel between the venues can purchase a Rover ticket.

A Festival Like No Other

• Around 200 real ales from breweries across the UK

• 40 Kent Green Hop beers, showcasing the fresh flavours of the county’s hop harvest

• 70 ciders and 14 keg beers, offering something for every taste

• Live music and food across three characterful stations

• Steam and heritage diesel trains through the beautiful High Weald

Jonnie Pay, General Manager of the Spa Valley Railway, said: “This is far more than a beer festival - it is a journey through great flavours, live entertainment and railway heritage. Visitors can step aboard a train, travel between three lively festival venues and discover an extraordinary choice of drinks, all against the beautiful backdrop of the High Weald. Whether you are a dedicated ale enthusiast, a cider lover or simply looking for a brilliant day out with friends and family, this is an October date not to miss.”

The festival’s scale and setting make it one of the country’s most distinctive autumn events: a place to compare classic bitters, bold stouts, refreshing pales, modern craft pours and an exceptional range of ciders while travelling through the Kent and Sussex countryside.

The Home of Kent Green Hop Beer

A major highlight will be one of the country’s largest gatherings of Kent Green Hop beers. Brewed with freshly harvested hops from Kent’s hop gardens, these seasonal beers deliver exceptionally fresh aromas and flavours that can only be enjoyed for a limited period around harvest time.

For seasoned beer explorers and curious newcomers alike, the festival is a rare chance to taste the hop harvest at its freshest, meet friends, enjoy the music and experience a heritage railway in full festival spirit.

Three Stations, One Unforgettable Journey

Festival entry is free, so visitors can simply arrive, purchase a festival glass and start exploring. Rover tickets for unlimited heritage train travel throughout the day can be booked in advance or purchased at the stations. Full event details, opening times and train tickets are available at spavalleyrailway.co.uk.

Visitors are encouraged to plan their journey, allow plenty of time to explore all three stations and enjoy the festival responsibly. Card-carrying CAMRA members can receive a 25% discount on train travel when purchasing at a ticket office.

Booking Information

Make a date for Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October 2026 and discover why this spectacular line-side celebration has become a landmark in the South East’s festival calendar. For the latest information and to book train tickets, visit www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk.

Notes to Editors

About the Spa Valley Railway

The Spa Valley Railway is a five-mile heritage railway offering steam and diesel journeys in vintage carriages between Tunbridge Wells West in Kent and Eridge in East Sussex. Four miles of the railway are managed by Spa Valley Railway, with the remaining mile overseen by a mainline railway contractor or Network Rail.

Established in 1985 by the Tunbridge Wells & Eridge Railway Preservation Society, a registered charity, the railway is owned by the Wealden Railway Company, with its supporting charitable organisation holding the majority of shares.

Each year, over 85,000 visitors travel on the Spa Valley Railway, making it the largest tourist attraction in Tunbridge Wells. Half of the railway’s passengers enjoy the Polar Express Train Ride in November and December, while the other half experience regular train journeys or dining events between January and October.

What is Real Ale?

Are you new to this and wondering what real ale is?

Cask ale, also known as “real ale” or cask-conditioned beer, is a live, unfiltered, and unpasteurised beer that undergoes a natural secondary fermentation in its serving cask, developing soft carbonation and fuller flavour. The beer is traditionally served from a hand pump, or in the railway’s case, from a tap in the cask.

Ale is made from water, malted barley, hops and yeast. Breweries create different flavours by tweaking four main variables: the yeast strain, which produces fruity, spicy, or other flavours; the types and timing of hop additions, which contribute bitterness and aroma; the grains and malts used, which provide sweetness, caramel, nutty, or chocolate notes; and the water chemistry, which affects the overall balance and flavour perception.

For further information please contact Adrian Tierney-Jones via atierneyjones@gmail.com.

Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.